Let’s talk about lamps for your home.

I can say with confidence that at least 75% of you need better lighting.

I’ve done many design projects and even more short design consultations and almost every home I’ve been in has had a lack of good lighting.

Why?

The lack of great lamps in local stores is probably a big reason. I’ve almost given up on finding them - with the exception of a couple of small specialty shops here in Raleigh. Once in a while I’ve lucked out at Target and more frequently I’ll stumble upon a treasure at Home Goods, but not often.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a cute lighting store nearby?

But there’s no local store where I know I can always find a great light fixture with all my must-haves:

the style of fixture I’m looking for

with a 3 way switch or dimmable bulb feature
sporting a lovely lampshade

While we’re still hunkered down, I’m not going into local stores anyway. So right now my sources have to be online. A total bummer.

Let’s resist the urge to throw a daily pity party - wait, at least it would be a party. No, no, let’s just find some well priced, good quality lamps you can use in your home.

My favorite websites for great light fixtures is LampPlus, Bellacor, Ballard Designs. I’ll show you a couple and will tell you where I’d put them in your home.

I’m still learning how to create a digital board that includes clickable links, so for now, scroll down to find the live links that coordinate with each numbered lamp.

Click the links below (they’re the highlighted text) and you’ll be taken right to each lamp. I’ll check the links every now and then to ensure they still work. If not, I’ll try to replace the link with a similar fixture. I can’t help it if the lamp is out of stock. All the good stuff goes out of stock frequently, but then hopefully new stock will arrive. A good lamp is worth the wait!

1 - The Elva emerald green glazed lamp would look gorgeous on a console or end table. Green is actually quite neutral and goes with just about everything (look outdoors to see what I mean). It’s 27” high with a 3-way switch would work well on a nightstand too.

2 - The Yangtze is a terrific accent lamp. It only takes a 40 watt bulb (led equivalent would be about 4 watts), so I couldn’t read by it. It’s 15” high and would be perfect on a foyer table or any spot in your home where you want to lighten up a dark spot. It looks like the finial is painted to match the base - well done!

3 - The Pero Blue Sapphire table lamp is 26 3/4” high, so another fab choice for the console table behind the sofa in your Living Room (do people still have Living Rooms?), on an end table or a bedroom nightstand. The texture on this lamp base is really nice and the color is perfect if you’re using any true blue - not teal - in the room. The 3-way switch will always give you lighting options. The square shade matches the base shape and is a nice change from round shades.

Let’s pause for just a sec: I’m showing you light fixtures in somewhat of a range of prices, but I know we all want lamps that cost under $100. Home Goods has shown us that it’s possible. But those are called FINDS. More power to all of us when we stumble upon them.

A great lamp that you’re going to have for a long time is well made and will always look gorgeous in your room is usually going to cost you more than $100. Often double or triple that amount.

A great light fixture is a worthy investment. Quality costs money. That’s why we work hard at our jobs and save up for nice things. You deserve nice things, my friends.

Back to our lamps:

4 - Regina Andrew’s Ripple table lamp is 25” high. Again, this works anywhere in your Family Room or Living Room. A mercury glass lamp with a crystal base is some serious sparkle to catch the eye and make you smile. I’d also put it on a bureau in the bedroom or on a desk in the Home Office.

Here’s the group of lamps again, so you don’t have to keep scrolling back up!

5 - This 15” high chrome lamp with a poppin’ orange shade would be SO cute on a desk (adults or kids), bookshelf, console, small foyer table, etc. Anyplace you need a ray of sunshine! It’s not very tall, so you could put it on top of a stack of books to give it more presence in a spot that’s just begging for a shot of color. This one IS under $100 and if you’d rather have it in a yummy blue shade, just follow this link. There’s also a version with a gray shade, but there’s enough gray in the world right now, so really, consider the orange or the blue!

6 - The Belmont is a FIND and if you don’t grab it quickly, it will be gone. The listing has some errors - they call it the Belmont Crystal Opal White… but there’s no crystal anywhere on it (not sure what the “white” is all about either). And the specs say it’s a gold finish. Sigh. That’s wrong, too. Look at the picture - t’s black and nickel and very good looking. It’s got a couple of ports for plugging in devices and offers a good amount of light. It’s even adjustable height! In terms of features, this would be a knock off of a Holtkoetter fixture, which costs hundreds of dollars more (but would have an accurate description).

7 - I want to give you a floor lamp too. Most rooms need a floor lamp. This black and brass one by Kathy Ireland is a classic. Classics can fit into any style of decor. It has 2 pull chains, serving the same purpose as a 3-way switch. Tuck this behind, or next to, an armchair or put it in a corner or at the end of a sofa.

Two quick notes:

feel free to mix your metal finishes in the room. All brushed nickel light fixtures will look like a showroom. Feel free to have a black floor lamp with brass accents AND a green ceramic table lamp with brushed nickel accents in the same room.
If a light fixture calls for a very bright bulb, like 100 or 150 watts, feel free to use a lower wattage IF you don’t like bright light. I love bright light, but not everyone does. Don’t go above the recommended bulb wattage on a fixture, but you can always go lower.
Always go with led bulbs in the soft white option if you can. LED bulbs last longer and use less energy.

I always say that lighting is the most important design element in the home. Cheap stuff, lit well, looks more expensive. Expensive stuff, lit badly, looks cheap. Memorize that.

If you want to see more fixtures that I recommend and more tips on lighting up your home, I’ve got a great guide for you. Go to the bottom of any page on this website and sign up to get it.

You won’t believe how much better your rooms will look with a nice lamp or two!

With sparkle and texture,

Anne